Rod guide and protector



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,721

s. v. DILLON ROD GUIDE AND PROTECTOR 7 Filed May 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l '29 Inventor 5727i? VZ /7/0/7 Anemia;

Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,721

. s. V. DILLON ROD GUIDE AND PROTECTOR I Filed May '7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Attorney Patented No v. 6, 1928.

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This invention relates to a new type of guide for pump rods embodying protecting means for preventing loss of the rod in case of breakage.

An objecbof the invention resides in providing a new type of rod guide adapted for mounting on the rod, having relatively movable parts operable to retain the rod in set position by engagement by thewell tubing 1 upon the disengagement or breakage of rod sections above the section provided with this special guide.

This lnvention is designed to permit the normal operation of the sucker rod during 1 the pumping operation, in which the rod reciprocates through a zone from three to six feet or more.

The invention 'comprehends numerous other improvements in the provision of the new type of sucker rod guide in order to insure the eflicient operation of the guide with the maintenance of the proper relationship between the parts of this new guide, which are more particularly pointed out in the following detailed description and in the claims directed to a preferred form of the invention, it being understood, however, that various changes in the size, shape and relation of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth herein.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section through a section of tubing showing a section of pump rod mounting the improved guide construction of this invention, portions being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the structure of the slip and operating head therefor, taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and showing the slip supporting collar and tube engagin means.

ig. 7 is a view similar to Fi 6, showing a modified construction of tu e engaging means carried by slips for the collar.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective of a section of the sucker rod mounting the improved guide and protector structure and showing the lugs for cooperation with the slip operating mechanism. 7

It 1s common practice in the art to provide guides for the sucker rod which are attached at various intervals throughout the length oi the rod, in order to efiectively guide its re- ,ciprocating operation durin um oi V fluid through the tubing. Ctfiisideralb l e difficulty has been experienced, however, with these sucker rods, due to disconnection of the oints, crystallization, and breakage which frequently causes the loss of sections of the rod in a well, and provision for which has not been made in present day practice, to prevent the loss of these sections where a break occurs. It to be understood, therefore, that this invention provides a new type of rod guide including suitable protecting means for supporting the rod in the tubing whenever a breakage occurs in order that the sections of the rod may be re-coupled and withdrawn 80 for repair.

.In'carrying out the invention, as disclosed in connection with this application, and with particular reference to the drawing, 1 indicates the tubing of the well and 2 a section of the sucker rod of special construction, adapted to carry the improved guide and which is provided at the upper end with the usual form of pin as indicated at 3 for connection with a box on the next section or sucker rod in the tubing, while at the lower end, the section 2 is provided with a box as indicated at 4 of the type generally used in the art for receiving the pin of the next lower rod section.

Adjacent the upper end of the rod section 2, the same is provided with diametrically arranged projections 5 as shown clearly in Fig. 8, adapted for slidable engagement in the bayonet slots 6 for the slips guiding 100 and operating body 7. This slip guiding and operating body 7 is formed with concave side walls 8 as clearly shown in Fig.

2, which are tapered from the top to the bottom portion of the body as shown at 9 105 in Fig. 1. The ends of this body 7 are pro vided with dove-tails 10 upon which the slips 11 are slidably mounted and which ends are tapered as indicated at 12 from the top to the bottom as shown more clearly in no Fig. 5 so that when the operating body 7 moves downwardly between the slips 11, they will be forced outwardly for engagement with the inner surface of the tubing 1 in a manner which will be described.

The ends of the body 7 are formed with airs of guide projections 13 for guiding the slip rod 14 and preventing disconnection of the slips fromthe body 7 as well as limiting the downward movement of the slips relative to the body 7 The lower ends of the slip rods 14 are suitably anchored to the supporting collar 16 as clearly shown in Fig. 6, at 17.

The upper end of the body 7 is formed with stops 18 adjacent the bayonet slots 6 in the manner as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, so that the projections 5 on the rod 2 in being adapted for placement in the slots, will engage these stops in the rotation of the rods in the body 7 so that they will be stopped in alinement with the slots 6 in order that axial movement of the rods may be then provided for positioning the projections 5 in said bayonet slots, and effectively locking the body 7 on the rod section 2.

The supporting collar 16 for the slips is formed with projections at diametrically opposite points indicated at 20 on the upper ends which are formed with laterally extending openings receiving the ends 21 of the roller carrying frames 22 formed of a 1 sin le )iece of wire havin the saaced arallel portions 23 connected by the central portion 24 of the wire which rotatably supports the roller 25.

A plate member 26 having the ends thereof returned as indicated at 27, Fig. 1, secures the arm 23 in assembled relation with the end 21 pivotally supported in the opening formed in projection 20. Suitable coiled springs 28 are seated in sockets 29 in the supporting collar 16, and are normally expansible to engage the plate members 26 for moving the frames 22 and the rollers 25 outwardly with respect to the rod section so that the rollers will normally engage and ride on the inner surface of the well tubing 1 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The supporting collar 16 is formed with an enlarged central opening as indicated at 30, in Fig. 1, which is normally in spaced concentric relation with respect to the rod section 2 to permit the free movement of the rod therethrough and also the operating collar 31 rigidly mounted on the rod by suitable set screws 32 or the like, which is adapted to operate the body 7 to permit release of the slips 11 from engaging with the well tubing.

The supporting collar 16 is constructed to provide an elongated transverse section such as shown in Fig. 4 and in order to provide for the free passage of fluid in the tubing 1 around the collar in the operation of the sucker rod in the usual manner for pumping fluid. The body 7 is also constructed so as to provide a transverse section having a substantially narrow width as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, to permit the free passage of fluid past the body without interfering with the effective operation of the body in controlling the slips and the operation thereof in conjunction with the collar 16.

It may be found desirable to vary the tube engaging means from that shown in Fig. 1, in view of the fact that the rollers 25 will wear quickly and require frequent replacing through the substitution of suitable resilient members 33 which are riveted on the collar 33 on the well tubing and for changing the size thereof for use in connection with varying sizes of tubing.

Wlth the above construction applied to a sucker rod, it will be understood that the.

section 2 is of special construction and may be made of varying length to suit the conditions of use in placing this new type of guide in practice and that the section 2 may be placed between any sections of the sucker -rod where it is found most desirable, two or more of these new guides being used when deemed necessary.

With this new guide mounted in operative position in a sucker rod assembly and placed in the well tubing for the normal pumping operation, it will be understood that the parts will normally assume the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the slips will be in disengaged relation with respect to the tubing 1 and the lower end seated on the upper edges of the pairs of projections of the body 7 while the projections on the rod sections 2 will be engaged in the laterally extending portion of the bayonet slots 6 so that the bodies 7 will be supported in fixed position on the rod section 2 and the rollers 25 will ride on the inner surface of the tubing 1.

With the parts in this posit-ion, the friction between the rollers 25 and the inner surface of the tubing 1 is not suflicient to move the collar 16 upwardly and operate such as to engage the tubing through the normal reciprocating operation of the rod in the pumping stroke in view of the fact that the motion is rather slow. In the operation of the pump rod the rollers 25 and associated structure will effectively guide the rod in the tubing 1 throughout its reciprocating stroke during the pumping operation,

and upon the breakage of the rod or discon nection of the sections above the section 2, the immediate and fast fall of the section 2 with the sucker rod connected thereto in the bottom of the tubing will cause an increase of the friction of rollers 25 on the tubing 1 and will hold the supporting collar 16 to permit movement of the body 7 toward the collar which will move the slips 11 into wedged engagement with the inner surface of the tubing 1 and arrest the downward motion of the rod section 2 and all the sections carried thereby and rigidly support these sections in the tubing. In this way the weight of the rod sections falling in the tubing will'be prevented from drop ping through the bottom of the tubing into the bottom of the well which frequently results in the loss of the rod as well as damage to the tubing, and the cylinder structure on the lower end. In this way, this improved guide will effectively prevent the loss of the sucker rod from the tubing and will effectively support the same in tubing until a new upper section can be suitably engaged with the upper end of the section '2 for further operation in pumping fluid or removal of the sections to repair the broken joints.

In the upward movement of the rod section 2 and being withdrawn, after the switch has engaged the casing,'it will be seen that the dove-tails 10 will withdraw the slips due to the upward movement of the body 7 with the rod section 2 and the tendency of the collar 16 to remain in stationary relation with respect to the tubing 1. This will therefore release the slips from engagement with the tubing and permit the ready withdrawal of the structure from the tube.

In some cases, the operation in this manner may not be found most desirable so that provision is made for releasing the body 7 from engagement with the rod section 2 by turning the rod section after positioning in the well at the lower end of its stroke of movement, as a result of which the projection 5 will be moved through the bayonet slot 6 so that the weight 7 may be released from its supported engagement on the rod 2, as a result of which, it will drop in the tubing and move downwardly on the rod section 2 and operate the slips 11 to engage the tubing 1. This will lock the slips and the collar 16 in substantially rigid connection with the tubing 1 and entirely free of the rod 2 so that it may be reciprocated through the body 7 and the collar 16. In this way, the body 7 will provide an effective guide between the tubing 1 and the rod section 2 for guiding the rod during the pumping operation without adding the additional weight of the guiding and protecting device to the rod in operation.

With the parts in this position, should the should it be desired to remove the sucker rods from the tubing 1, the same may be accomplished by reinserting the projections 5 into the slots 6 so as to be engaged and set .the body 7 on the rod and then upon the upward movement of the rod the slips will be withdrawn from the supporting engagement in the tube in the manner as above described.

This operation will also take place by the withdrawal of the rod from the tubing without re-engaging the projections 5 in the bayonet slots 6 through the provision of the collar 31 on the lower end of the section 2 of the rod, which will move through the openings 30 in the collar 16, and engage the lower end of the body 7 and raise the same upwardly to withdraw the slips from engagement with the tubing in a manner which can be readily understood from an examination of Fig. 1. i

The position of the operating collar 31 on the rod section 2 is such as not to interfere with the eifective operation and guiding of the sucker rod during the normal pumping stroke.

It will thus be appreciated from the above description that a highly practical sucker rod guide and protector construction which will normally effectively operate to guide the rod in one of two difl'erent manners as above set forth, and will also effectively retain the rod in the tubing under all conditions is provided which is constructed in such a way that it will not interfere with the eflicient and normal flow of fluid in the tubing. I

The above described construction, pro: vides a guide which will prevent vibration of the pump rod in the tube and prevent wear between the rod and the tube which is common where guides are not used. With this guide construction, the wear can be placed on either the tube or the rod as found most desirable, in View of the fact that where the body 7 and the collar 16 together with the associated parts reciprocate with the rod, that the wear will be placed on the tubes. Where the body 7 is released from the rod, and operates the slips to engage the tubes so that the rod reciprocates through the body 7, it will be seen that the wear will be placed on the body 7 and on the rod instead of the tube. In carrying out this construction, the bodies 7 may be made of suitable bearing metal to take the wear or of sufiithe tubes or on the rod or both, in the majority of instances, necessitating in some cases, frequent renewal of the rod or sections of the tubing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In combination, a well tube, a pump operating rod reciprocating within the tube, an actuating member detachably mounted on the rod and adapted when the rod is moved in a certain way, to slide downwardly onthe rod, a collar in the tube and surrounding the rod, friction means on the collar bearing against the tube for supporting the collar therein, slip links connected to the collar, and slips connected to the links and adapted to be forced against the tube by the actuating member when the latter slides downwardly on the rod, the rod when the actuating member is in anchored position, being freely slidable through the actuating member.

2. The combination with a well tubing and a pump rod reciprocating therein, of a combmed rod catcher and rod guide arranged between the rod and tubing, and adapted to form an abutment to catch the rod in case of accidental drop of the rod, said combined catcher and guide including a wedge shaped actuating member through which the rod is axially slidable, tubular means through which the rod is axially movable, resilient friction means connected to the tubular means and eiigaging the tubing for holding said tubular means in a fixed position in the casing, and gripping jaws operatively connected to the tubular means and engaging the wedge shaped actuating member, said gripping jaws being held in engagement with the tubing by said actuating member.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 2 including means for temporarily latching the actuating member to the rod while the I latter is being lowered in the tubing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

STEPHEN V. DILLON. 

